Stapler support



J. w. DROLL ET'AL 2,706,814

April 26, 1955 STAPLER SUPPORT Filed Jan. 22, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTORS JOSEPH W. DROLL EINAR GUNNAR SANDBERG ATTORNEY April 26, 1955J. DROLL ETAL STAPLER SUPPORT Filed Jan. 22, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS JOSEPH W. DROLL EINAR GUNNAR SANDBERG Z. l I

ATTORNEY April 26, 1955 J. W. DROLL ETAL STAPLER SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed Jan. 22, 1953 ggk . INVENTORS JOSEPH W. DROLL By EINAR GUNNARSANDBERG am iv-4 ATTORNEY United States Patent STAPLER SUPPORT Joseph W.Droll and Einar Gunnar Sandberg, Chicago,

Ill., assignors, by mesne assignments, to United Mattress MachineryCompany, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application January 22,1953, Serial No. 332,702

4 Claims. (Cl. 12)

This invention relates to improvements in support structures forstaplers and more particularly relates to an improved stapler supportparticularly adapted to a support stapler, for stapling the coils of thesprings of a box spring to the frame therefor.

A principal object of our invention is to provide a novel and simplifiedform of support for a stapler for box springs, yieldably biasing thestapler above the level of the tops of the springs, and accommodatingthe stapler to be moved against its bias into engagement with the coilsof the springs for stapling the same to the frame structure therefor.

A further object of our invention is to provide a support structure fora stapler, storing and supplying wire thereto, and maintaining therequired tension on the wire for supply to the stapler.

A further and more detailed object of our invention is to provide anovel and simplified form of wire reel and stapler support, particularlyadapted for stapling springs for box springs to the support structuretherefor, and comprising an elongated arm supported for movement overthe spring structure and having a carriage movable therealong with anextensible stapler support suspended from the carriage, together with awire container on the arm, and means for training the wire from thecontainer to the stapler, and maintaining the required tension thereon.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a staple wirecontainer and stapler support, supporting the stapler for readyaccessibility to the entire area of the spring frame structure andreleasably moving the stapler from the spring frame structure at the endof each stapling operation, as well as supplying stapling wire to thestapler and maintaining tension thereon.

These and other objects of our invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a stapler support constructed inaccordance with our invention and showing a stapler supported thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of thestapler, illustrating the manner in which the wire is trained to thefeed rolls of the stapler and maintained under tension;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front end view of the stapler support;

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation of the forward end portion of thestapler support, drawn to substantially the same scale as Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the wire container and reeltherefor; and

Figure 6 is a side elevational view showing the reel illustrated inFigure 5 in side elevation, and illustrating the support therefor.

In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in the drawings, thestapler support includes generally a horizontally movable arm 10 havinga container or reel 11 for the staple wire mounted thereon, and having astapler supporting carriage 12 movable therealong. The carriage 12 isshown as having a stapler 15 suspended therefrom for up and downmovement with respect to said carriage and yieldably held in a retractedposition with respect thereto. The stapler 15 is also mounted formovement about a pair of perpendicular axes, to accommodate the staplerto be readily positioned to engage and staple the lower coils 2,706,814Patented Apr. 26, 1955 of the springs of a box spring to the framestructure therefor.

The stapler 15 may be air operated and of a type which forms the staplesfrom a continuous length of wire, and also drives the same. The stapleris shown as having an elongated nose 16 with a coil or wire engagingrecess or notch 17 open to the lower end thereof and adapted to engageand fit over the wire of the lower coil of the spring, to position thestaple to pass along opposite sides of the coil and be driven into thewooden frame structure for the spring, as in an application Serial No.309,392, filed by Einar Gunnar Sandberg on September 13, 1952 andentitled Stapling Machine so only herein shown and described insufficient detail as to make our present invention readilyunderstandable.

The stapler 15 is shown as having a feed roll 19 and a pinch roll 20 forfeeding a length of staple wire to the stapler, to be formed byoperation of a staple forming and drive plunger 22 (see Figure 2). Thefeed roll 19 may be intermittently driven by the staple drive plunger 22upon reciprocable movement thereof, through an intermittent drivemechanism including a rocking arm 23 engaged by the plunger 22 upon thereturn stroke thereof, a link 24 reciprocably driven thereby, and asuitable step-by-step drive mechanism driven by said link. Thestep-by-step drive mechanism may be a ratchet type of feed as in theaforementioned application Ser. No. 309,392 of Einar Gunnar Sandberg sois not herein shown or described. The wire 21 is shown as being trainedto the feed and pinch rolls 19 and 20 through the center of a coilspring 25, secured to and extending outwardly from a bracket 26,extending from the stapler frame in alignment with the nip between therolls 19 and 20. The coil spring 25 besides guiding the staple wire tothe feed and pinch rolls 19 and 20, also maintains tension thereon, aswill hereinafter more clearly appear as this specification proceeds.

The support arm 10 is shown as having an end portion 27, flattened oneach side thereof and extending between the furcations of a bifurcatedbracket member 29, which may be secured to a suitable vertical support,such as a post or a wall of the building, within which the stapler isoperating. As herein shown, a nut and bolt indicated by referencecharacter 30, is provided to pivotally mount the arm 10 between thefurcations of the bracket member 29 for movement with respect theretoabout a vertical axis. A tie rod 31 is shown as being hooked to abracket 32 spaced above the bracket 29 and shown as being secured to thesame post or wall that forms a support for the bracket 29. The tie rod31 is shown as extending diagonally downwardly from the bracket 32 andas having a lower hooked end portion 33, hooked within the eye of an eyebolt 34, secured to and projecting upwardly from the outer end of thearm 10. The hooked end portion 33 of the tie rod 41 is shown as beingthreaded to a turn buckle 35, also threaded to the lower end of the tierod 31, for levelling the arm 10 when desired.

It should here be understood that while we have shown the arm 10 asbeing supported at its end by a tie rod, extending from a position abovethe top of the arm 10, that where head room is limited, suitable bracingmeans or any other desired support member may instead be provided toengage beneath the arm 10, to support the same in places of reduced headroom.

The carriage 12 is shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 as comprising twoparallel side plates 36, 36, connected together at their lower ends by abottom plate 37, and secured thereto as by rivets 39, 39. The sideplates 36, 36 are shown as being connected together adjacent their upperends by two spaced bolts 40, 40 extending therethrough and also havingsleeves 41, 41 mounted thereon. The sleeves 41, 41 may be bearingsleeves and are shown as engaging the insides of the side plates 36, 36at their outer ends and rollers 42, 42 at their inner ends. The rollers42, 42 rotatable about the bolts 40, 40, support the carriage on the arm10 for movement along the top thereof. A hose clamp 44 is shown as beingsecured to the rear bolt 40 and as ex tending upwardly therefrom andacross the carriage 12, and outwardly therefrom. The hose clamp 44 isshown as having any eye 45 at its outer end, through which a hose forsupplying air to the stapler 15 may extend and be clamped thereto. Asecond hose clamp 48 is shown as being mounted on the arm in spacedrelation with respect to the hose clamp 44.

A tube 46 is shown as being secured to the horizontal plate 37, at thelower end of the carriage 12 and as depending therefrom. The tube 46 isshown as being of substantial length and as having a reinforcing collar47 at its lower end. A support rod 49 is shown as being slidably movablewithin said tube and as extending therefrom. The tube 46 with thesupport rod 49 forms a telescopic support for a depending staplersupport arm 50 secured to the bottom of the rod 49 and suspendedtherefrom.

The support rod 49 is shown as being maintained in retracted relationwith respect to the tube 46 by a ten sion spring 51. The upper end ofthe tension spring 51 is shown as being hooked through aligned aperturedportions 53, 53 of the tube 46, disposed adjacent the upper end of saidtube. The lower end of the tension spring 51 is shown as being bookedthrough an apertured portion 54 of the rod 49, adjacent the lower endthereof. The tension spring 51 may have sufficient tension to maintainthe rod 49 telescoped within the tube 46 and hold the stapler inretracted relation with respect to the spring structure when the stapleris not in operation. The stapler yieldably supported above the level ofthe top surface of the springs of the box spring structure may then bereadily maneuvered to position the stapler nose 16 between the springsof the box spring structure and engage said nose with a wire of a coilof the spring and staple the same to the frame for the mattress, uponthe grasping of the stapler by the hand.

The stapler support arm 50 is shown as being of an inverted L-shapedformation, pivotally mounted on the bottom of the rod 49 for movementabout the axis thereof and retained thereto by means of a nut 56threaded on the end of said rod. A pin, such as a cotter pin may beplaced through said nut and rod, to retain said nut thereto, to supportthe support arm 50 for pivotal movement about the axis of the rod, whenmanipulating the stapler for stapling. The support arm 50 is shown asextending downwardly along the side of the stapler 15 and as having thestapler pivotally connected thereto at its lower intermediate the endsof the stapler, on a transverse pin 59. The pin 59 thus connects thestapler to the suspension arm 50 for movement about a transverse axis,and enables the stapler to be held at any desired angle, for stapling orfor maneuvering the nose 16 of the stapler, to engage the wire of alower coil of a spring, and guide and staple to pass along oppositesides thereof, and staple the same to the frame structure for thespring.

The wire container or reel 11 is shown as being of a generallycylindrical form. having a relatively large diameter bottom 60 and acylindriacl side wall 61 extending upwardly therefrom. The reel 11 isshown as being mounted on top of an upright post 63 mounted on the arm10 and extending upwardly therefrom. As herein shown the arm 10 extendsthrough the post 63 and is secured thereto as by a transverse pin 64.The post 63 is shown as having a threaded member such as a bolt 65threaded therein and extending upwardly therefrom. A collar 66 for awire guide arm 67 is mounted on the bolt 65 and rests on the top of thepost 63. A thrust bearing 69 is mounted on the bolt 65 and rests on thetop of the collar 66 and forms a support for the bottom 60 of the reel11. The reel 11 is retained to the bolt 65 by means of an internallythreaded post 70 threaded on the bolt 65. The lower end of the post 70is shown as being adjacent, but spaced above the bottom 60 of the reel11, to accommodate free rotation of said reel on the bearing 69.

The coil of staple wire 21 is laid within the reel 11 about the post 70and is retained within said reel by means of a cover 71, abutting thetop of the post 70 and retained to said post by a. wing nut 72 threadedon a reduced threaded upper end portion 73 thereof.

The wire guide and tensioning arm 67 is shown as extending laterallyfrom the collar 66, beneath the bottom of the container 11 in parallelrelation with respect thereto beyond the outer periphery thereof, and 8Shaving an upright guiding end portion 75 having aperture 76 extendingthereacross. The aperture 76 is shown as being located beneath the topof the cover 71 and a slight distance above the top of the side wall 61and as having the staple wire 21 threaded therethrough. The upright end75 of the tension arm 67 likewise has a friction brake member 77 mountedthereon intermediate the ends thereof. The brake member 77 may be apiece of spring steel and is shown as having an inner facing 79 offriction material, which may be leather or any other suitable frictionbrake material. The braking surface 79 may engage the outer periphery ofthe wall 61 to restrain pivotal movement of the reel 11 about the axisof the threaded member 65. The brake member 77 is shown as being securedin position on the upright portion 75 of the arm 67 by a set screw 80.Said brake member may be adjusted to force the friction surface 79 intoengagement with the periphery of the wall 61 of the reel 11 with thedesired frictional resistance, so as to prevent the reel from runningaway and to hold the reel to uniformly pay off staple wire therefromunder a slight degree of tension.

The wire 21 is shown as being trained from the aperture 76 along the arm10 through the lower hooked end 81 of a tension spring 82. The tensionspring 82 is hooked to and suspended from an eye 83 secured to anddepending from the plate 37 of the carriage 12. The staple wire 21 istrained from the tension spring 81 to and through the center of the coilspring 25 to the pinch and feed rolls 19 and 20, feeding the wire to thestaple drive plunger and forming jaws, which cut the wire to staplelength, form the same to staple form and drive the individual staplesalong the nose 16 for stapling.

The container or reel 11 is thus restrained from rotation about the axisof the threaded member 65 by the frictional resistance afforded by thefriction surface 79 on the end of the spring brake arm 77, so as tomaintain the staple wire relatively taut while being trained from saidarm. In addition, the coil spring 25 through which the staple wire istrained, exerts a downward pull thereon against the upward pull of thetension spring 82 and against the force required to rotate the reel 11against the friction braking surface 79, to maintain the staple wiretaut between said springs for feeding to the pinch and feed rolls 19 and20 as the carriage 12 is moved along the support arm 10.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple and efiicient yieldableand maneuverable support has been provided for a stapler which is ofparticular advantage in the stapling of springs for box springs to theframe of the box spring structure, in that it yieldably retains thestapler in a plane above the tops of the springs when the hand isremoved therefrom, and enables the stapler to readily be depressedagainst the bias of the tension spring 51, and into engagement with awire of a lower coil of the spring for stapling the same to the framestructure of the box spring.

It may further be seen that the stapler may be readily maneuvered atvarious angles for access to all parts of the frame structure, and thatthe stapler support relieves the operator from carrying the weight ofthe stapler during the stapling operation, and affords storage capacityfor the stapling wire paying off and guiding the wire and maintainingtension thereon, for feeding to the stapler for severing into staplelength and forming and driving the same.

It will be understood that various modifications and variations of thepresent invention may be effected with out departing from the spirit andscope of the novel concepts thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a support structure for a stapler comprising an elongated armpivotally supported for horizontal movement over an article to be workedupon, a carriage movable along said arm, a support suspended from saidcarriage and adapted to have a stapler suspended from the lower endthereof. a reel mounted on said arm for rotation about a vertical axisand adapted to contain a roll of staple wire, means training the staplewire from said reel to the stapler including a guide arm pivoted formovement about the axis of rotation of said reel and extending radiallyof said reel beyond the periphery thereof and having an end portionforming a guide for the stapling wire, and a yieldable brake rigidlysecured to said end portion and extending inwardly therefrom forengagement with said reel, and yieldably engaged with said reel inaccordance with the tension of the wire on said guide arm, forrestraining pivotal movement of said reel during paying off of the wiretherefrom.

2. In a support structure supporting and supplying wire to a staplercomprising an elongated support arm, a carriage movable along said arm,a stapler support suspended from said carriage and adapted to have astapler suspended from the lower end thereof for universal movement withrespect thereto, a wire reel supported on said arm for rotation about avertical axis and including an upwardly opening drum mounted on said armfor free rotation with respect thereto and having a bottom and acylindrical upright side wall, a guide arm pivoted for movement aboutthe axis of said reel and extending beneath said bottom radially beyondthe periphery thereof and having an upright end spaced radially from theside wall of said reel, said upright end having a horizontal aperturedportion forming a wire guide for the training of staple wiretherethrough, a friction brake rigidly secured to the upright end ofsaid guide arm and extending inwardly therefrom for engagement with saidcylindrical upright side wall, for restraining rotation of said drum inaccordance with the tension of the wire on said guide arm, a yieldablemember guiding the wire from said apertured portion to the stapler, anda spring extending from the stapler for guiding the wire thereto andcooperating with said yieldable member and guide arm to maintain tensionon the wire.

3. In a stapler support structure, a horizontally extending support armmounted for swinging movement about a vertical axis, a carriage movablealong said arm, a telescopic stapler support depending from saidcarriage, a tension spring retractably moving said telescopic support,said support being adapted to have a stapler suspended therefrom, for upand down movement with respect to the coils and frame of a spring, forstapling the coils to the frame, a wire reel supported for rotationabout a vertical axis and having a closed bottom, a cylindrical outerwall and an open top, an arm pivoted beneath said reel for movementabout the axis of rotation thereof and extending radially therealongbeyond the wall thereof, said arm having an upright end portionextending parallel to the Wall of said reel and above the top thereofand having a wire guide leading therethrough, and a friction brake onsaid upright end portion of said arm extending inwardly therefromtowardsaid drum and being yieldably engageable with the periphery ofsaid drum by the tension of the wire on said wire guide, and yieldablyrestraining said drum from rotation by the tension of the Wire thereon.

4. In a stapler support, an elongated support arm pivotally supportedfor horizontal movement over the work to be stapled, a carriage movablealong said arm and having a telescopic stapler support suspendedtherefrom, for suspending a stapler from the lower end thereof, formovement with respect thereto about horizontal and vertical axes, springmeans biasing said support in a retracted position and yieldablymaintaining the stapler in position above the work to be stapled, a wirereel for supplying wire to said stapler, a spring on said carriageforming a guide for the wire, guiding the wire to the stapler, said reelbeing supported for rotation about a vertical axis and including anupwardly opening drum having a closed bottom, a cylindrical outer walland an open top, a guide arm pivoted for movement about the axis ofrotation of said reel and extending beneath said reel and upwardly alongthe wall thereof, the upwardly extending portion of said guide armhaving an apertured portion forming a wire guide spaced above the top ofsaid outer wall, a leaf spring secured to the upright portion of saidguide arm extending inwardly therefrom toward said drum, and a frictionmember on the end of said leaf spring engageable with the Wall of saiddrum, said friction member being yieldably engageable with the wall ofsaid drum in accordance with the tension of the wire thereon to restrainrotation of said drum and maintain tension on the wire trained from saiddrum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,101,966 Schoenky June 30, 1914 1,189,044 Boden a- June 27, 19161,505,567 Kelley Aug. 19, 1924 1,542,618 Lindholm June 16, 19252,294,998 Mitchell Sept. 8, 1942 2,314,184 Zeruneith Mar. 16, 19432,614,254 Lenart et a1. Oct. 21, 1952 2,617,098 Lenart et a1. Nov. 11,1952

